Valentine Effect
by Stella-Siha
Summary: What happens when Kaidan finds a stray kitten, on Valentine's Day, when he realizes his feelings for Shepard are stronger than ever? Rated M for a few smutty bits at the end but really, it's to be careful. Status is complete for now, another chapter might come if I ever have the inspiration to write a few more ideas I had for this story. Enjoy!


_Here is a one shot written for the Bioware Valentines on Tumblr. Rose Shepard belongs to Apostates Tumblr. I hope you enjoy and do not hesitate to let me know what you liked/disliked about it!  
If you want to see a bigger version of the "poster" that comes with this story, go on my profile, you'll find a link there!_

**_Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware, I'm only playing with their universe. I do not own the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story._**

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On the elevator ride from the CIC to Shepard's cabin, Kaidan could not help but think that maybe this was a bad idea; what if Shepard didn't like cats? What if she read too much into this? After how their relationship had _slowly _started to go well again, the last thing he wanted was Shepard thinking he wanted to rush things.

_Damn it, Alenko, it's __**just**__ a cat! _The rational part of his brain knew it was no big deal and could only bring her some peace. Kaidan had been unable to ignore the dark circles under her deep blue eyes, the unusual distance she was keeping with her crew –her friends, and he sworn he could physically see her cave under the weight and pressure of the burden that was this war.

Rubbing his hand over his face and sighing out loud, Kaidan eyed the box he was firmly holding in his other hand. In there, was a fluffy gray tabby kitten. Kaidan had seen the little being multiple times, in the docks of the Citadel, at first with what he assumed were his brothers and sisters and today, when the Normandy had docked and Shepard had given the crew a few hours of shore leave, the cat had been in a corner, alone, thinner than before and meowing for everyone to hear but no one seemed to care.

In Vancouver, the Biotic had grew with cats and dogs, for his mom could never say No to a stray animal claiming food, attention and more importantly, love. So it's all naturally that Kaidan had reached for the kitten, petting him for a while and wondering for an instant how the little guy had ended up on the Citadel. _Certainly from one of these fancy shops selling pets from Earth, _he had thought. After the coup of Cerberus, some parts of the Citadel had been completely destroyed so it only made sense that some animals had been lost and were now wandering in the docks, looking for shelter.

He had first considered taking the fluffy being to the closest pet shop but had gotten lost in thoughts for a moment. Going to Brain Camp, joining the Alliance, had made him forgot that since being a kid, animals' company had always brought him peace. He had then remembered his younger years, how his Mother's cats and dogs had been a source of constant comfort for the shy, introverted kid he had been.

Following this train of thoughts, while little teeth were biting his hand and paws playing with his fingers, Kaidan forgot all about the mission, the war and focused on Shepard. _His_ Shepard. Not the great Commander Shepard, no. Simply Rose Shepard, the woman he was in love with. If someone needed peace and comfort, it was her.

As he had finally been on his way to the wards, Gabby and Ken had burst out of the docking Bay, unable to keep their hands off each other, Gabby saying again and again how happy and thankful she was that Ken had thought about offering her roses for Valentine's Day.

Kaidan had simply smiled when the couple had passed him by, looking so happy and unaware of the world around them, where everything smelled like death and war. Part of him missed this frivolity and now more than ever, he felt that maybe they were all living their last days and there was no time wasting on finding way outs and more importantly, there was no more time left on waiting and hesitating.  
That's when, out of the blue, his mind had made this weird association: Valentine's Day, cat, Shepard. Kaidan had stopped dead in his track and let the idea sink in. He had stared at the cat for a moment, and as if feeling his eyes on it, the animal had looked back at him, its big round eyes so innocent and tender. Saying that Kaidan's heart had melt was an understatement and even though the Biotic was usually a man of long reflection, weighing the pros and cons, the decision had been taken in less than a second.

Now, there he was, in the elevator, doubting and holding a ridiculously big box covered with silver paper and a big, pale blue –blue, because the kitten happened to be a little guy- bow on it. After deciding that he and Rose would celebrate Valentine 's Day and that he would offer her a cat, Kaidan had ran to the pet shop, made sure the pet was healthy and bought enough cat food for at least a month. The shop owner had then suggested buying a gift box, specially made for animals since they had small openings cut on each side.

When he had come aboard the Normandy, avoiding Joker and his misplaced curiosity and questions about him and Shepard which he didn't feel in the mood for, Kaidan had asked EDI where he could find Shepard. To his relief, Shepard was in her cabin, after what had certainly been a stressful day of dealing with stupid politics and trying to help as much people as she could.

With this in mind, when the elevator doors opened on Shepard's deck, Kaidan's heart started beating faster, from both anxiety and excitement. Rose knew he was a man of tradition; as mundane as Valentine's Day could be, as far as he could remember, his Father had always offered roses to Mrs. Alenko. So Kaidan had always thought that the day he would find his other half, his one true love, he would perpetuate this tradition, even if it was more symbolic than essential.

He checked for the kitty, who was surprisingly sound asleep, and went to stand in front of the cabins' doors, not too close from them for he knew they would automatically switch open.

_I should message her_, he told himself. Trying to calm down as well, he reached for his Omnitool. To his surprise, the movement activated the doors' mechanism and they soundlessly switched open.

Stuck in place, Kaidan had no idea what to do. Tell her right away that he was here? Or act like a creepy guy and stare at her until she noticed? His brain was processing the idea when he instinctively leaned in and saw her.

_There she is_, he thought to himself, a small smile breaking on his tensed face.

Rose was at her desk, working on data pads, oblivious of his presence. He could see the outline of her beautiful face. From where he was, Shepard could almost appear peaceful but he, more than anyone else, couldn't miss her tensed jaw and the creased wrinkled at the corner of her eye.

What he couldn't miss as well were the glowing scars on her cheeks. Chakwas had told him what they meant and it had been no surprise to him for Shepard had always been a tough soldier who radiated strength, courage and bravery; the scars only added to the equation. However, it is what they represented _for him _that made his heart ache: they were a constant reminder that she had been with Cerberus and that they had brought her back to life. If not for the scars, Rose was the same woman he had fallen in love with years ago. Even though they had come to terms with Horizon, he knew, from the talks they had had in the past few weeks that the shadow of Mars was still hanging over them.

_How did I dare calling her a traitor and doubting her again?_ Kaidan angrily scolded himself. Part of him, the one that knew he had never stopped loving her, had never lost faith in her. However, the logical part of his brain had wanted to think otherwise, had somehow wanted to punish her for the two years of suffering he had been through.

Today, he would make things right again, he would show her that he trusted her, and that she could trust him in return.

Feeling like he was now on the edge on falling in the creepy peeping Tom category, he slowly made his way into the room and greeted her with a low and husky "Hey, Shepard".

A playful smile appeared on her face and, giving a last look to the data pad she had been working on, turned around and said "I was wondering how long you would stay there, watching."

Scratching the back of his neck with his free hand, in discomfort, Kaidan was taken aback "I…uh… I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay" Rose replied, smiling wider and came to stand in front of him, arm crossed.

She studied his face for a moment and he liked how she narrowed her eyes when doing so, something he had always found utterly cute. Her eyes drifted lower then, and he followed her gaze, until they landed on the box. She suspiciously eyed it, one eye brow lifted, until her eyes met his again and she pointed at the box with a questioning look on her face. He was amused by her behavior.

_She has no idea how cute she looks right now_, Kaidan thought, affectionately.

He smiled and handed the box to her "It's uh… It's for you, Shepard."

Even though she looked quite surprised, she didn't let it show. Most people would not notice it but he saw the flicker in her eyes. Moving backward slowly, Rose placed the box on the desk, still eyeing it as if it could contain Reapers babies ready to attack or explosive, and she slowly asked "What is it?"

Kaidan came next to her and instinctively took her hand in his, drawing her attention back to him, his thumb unconsciously caressing her knuckles. In this moment, his heart was pounding in his chest for it had been the first time in _years _that he had been able to touch her bare skin. Suddenly, he realized that this –holding her hand, being with her, felt like _home_. His only fear right now was that she would cringe and run away from him.

Coming back to reality and finding the strength to talk, knowing Shepard would not open the box until he said something, he simply stated "Just open it." He playfully added "I can't promise it won't bite." And winked at her, which seemed to abash her and she wholeheartedly laughed, the sound, divine music to his ears.

So it is slowly and with quite some apprehension that she untied the bow and lifted the lid of the apparently empty box. She turned her gaze to him, half amused, half threatening– something _only_ Rose Shepard could do.

Kaidan knew exactly when she saw what was hidden in the box because her expression completely changed. Suddenly, as she was lifting the sleepy kitten, she had such a peaceful, caring and loving look on her face. The little guy fitted in Shepard's palm and she lifted him until he was at level with her eyes. With one finger, she petted his back and rubbed her nose against his. "Hey there" she murmured to the newcomer, who had started purring as soon as she had made contact with him.

Kaidan watched the scene in complete silence, feeling happier than he had been in years. Seeing Shepard happy? That is what he had always wanted to fight for, but had never knew how to. Thinking that by being such an asshole on Horizon, then Mars, he could have lost her for good… The grasp of his hand on hers tightened and she must have felt it, along with the slightly panic written all over his face. She let the kitten hop on her desk, where he happily meowed, and started wandering in his new home.

Shepard turned to face him, squeezing his hand in return and murmured "Kaidan… It is... what is this for…" but before she could finish her sentence, Kaidan knowing he could not trust his ability to talk right now, slid his hand in Rose's dark hair and placed a soft, almost shy, kiss on her full lips. It was not long before her hands came to rest on his chest, her kiss more demanding and he could only oblige her.

Kaidan knew they still had a lot of things to talk about, to deal with but right now, all he could think about was how sweet she tasted and how he had missed her. It didn't matter anymore that she had worked with Cerberus and that she had died; all that mattered was the feel of Shepard in his arms, returning his kiss with the same fervor. Her hands moved from his chest to the back of his neck, her fingers playing with the hair there. He wished nothing more than this kiss to last forever but they both needed to come up for air and as hard as it was, he was the one to break the kiss, without breaking contact wit her.

"So…" Shepard began, breathlessly, their foreheads touching. "What was _all _this…" she said, so close that her lips were brushing against his "…for?"

Rose was intoxicating and Kaidan had a hard time focusing but somehow, forcing his mind to react on everything but her warm body against his and her lips teasing him with every word, all he came up with was "Valentine's Day."

Shepard seemed surprised and he was sure the real meaning behind this simple statement was sinking in. He loved her; it was that simple. He would never know if it was from the happiness that ran through his veins or the desire that seemed to have taken control of his brain but he quickly added "I love you, Shepard."

His eyes had never left hers and for the first time since this war had begun, the smile on her face finally reached her eyes. Her hands were caressing his cheeks and he leaned into them, unsure of what to do next… that was without counting on Mister Kitty, loudly meowing, begging for attention.  
Placing a quick kiss on his lips and sighing, Shepard turned around, Kaidan's arms never leaving her waist and said, to the animal's attention "Hey, Shenko, what's going on?", while taking hold of him and cuddling him.

"Shenko?" Kaidan asked, incredulous. "Is that a name?"

"Yep" Shepard replied, grabbing some cat food in Shenko's gift box and dropping some biscuits on the desk. The cat had left Shepard's arms in less than a second, now too interested in the food waiting for him.

The Biotic was about to ask why such a strange name when Shepard turned back around and added, proudly "Shepard, Alenko. Take the first three letters of the first and the four of the second, and you get…?"

"Shenko" he stated and shook his head, pulling her closer "How did you come up with this, hm?"

"Well…" she said, with a low voice that sent shivers down his spine "I figured that mixing the names of the two Human Specters could only promise a great future for my new buddy."

Closing the gap between them, she gave him a heated, passionate kiss, her very special way to thank him. This time, he didn't want to hold back all the desire that he had kept locked up for the past few years. He would stop if she wanted to; even though he wasn't sure a Reaper in the room could make him stop wanting to touch her, to kiss her, to taste her.

His hands quickly found the hem of her shirt and he shivered when his fingers made contact with her soft skin and she moaned in his mouth. To his dismay, Shepard broke the kiss, her eyes dark with passion and desire. Suddenly, Kaidan was afraid he had gone too far, that it was going too fast.

"Sh…" Kaidan started, his arms dropping to his sides, but Shepard shut him up with a finger on his lips.

"I love you, Kaidan" Rose told him, blue eyes getting lost in whiskey ones. Time stopped then. These were the words he had longed to hear, the words his heart had ached for, for two years, certain he would never get to hear them.

Shepard reached for his arms and placed them around her waist again, tenseness slowly leaving his body. They stayed there, in utter silence, in each other's arms, no words needed. Rose's head came to rest in the crook of his neck while his hands were caressing her back.

Shepard took him by surprise when she bit his ear lobe, playfully whispering "Now, since I don't have a gift for you, I suggest you stay her for the night and let me show you just _how much _I love you, _Major_." She emphasized the last one by pulling him into her and squeezing his ass, to both his pleasure and excitement.

Without wasting time, Kaidan returned the favor and lifted his lover, her legs naturally wrapping around his waist and her arms around his neck, making his way toward the bed. "How about I start showing you how much _I _love you, Commander?"

She looked him in the eyes for a moment, and he could read trust and love in there, before replying in a seductive tone "Sounds like a plan."

Kaidan leaned in for a kiss, biting her lower lip and added "Happy Valentine's Day, Rose"

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kaidan" she moaned in his mouth.


End file.
